Getting a Marriage License in Sharkey County
The Sharkey County Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps the marriage records once a license is returned and recorded. The office is held by Murindia Williams at the courthouse, 120 Locust Street, Rolling Fork, MS 39159, with mail sent to PO Box 218, Rolling Fork, MS 39159. You can reach the clerk at 662-873-2755 or by email at cc@sharkeycountyms.gov. The same person serves as both Circuit Clerk and Chancery Clerk in Sharkey County, so the clerk of court page lays out which desk handles each task.
A license is the document a couple needs before the ceremony, and only the circuit clerk can issue it. Mississippi circuit clerk offices commonly ask both applicants to appear together and to show proof of age and identity. If either person was married before, the clerk may ask for the date that prior marriage ended. Sharkey County does not publish a full step-by-step checklist online, and the March 2023 tornado affected the Rolling Fork courthouse area, so calling first to confirm current hours, accepted payment, and ID rules is the safest move.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The order below follows the way Mississippi circuit clerks generally handle a license. Sharkey County has not posted its own detailed packet, so treat these as the common steps and confirm the local rule by phone before you go.
- Call the Circuit Clerk to confirm the current fee, accepted forms of payment, ID requirements, and office hours before you travel.
- Plan for both applicants to appear together at the office, since joint appearance is the usual practice across the state.
- Bring proof of age and identity for each person, such as a driver's license, state ID, passport, or birth certificate.
- If either party was married before, be ready to give the date that marriage ended and, for a recent divorce, possibly a copy of the decree.
- Complete the application, sign as the clerk directs, and pay the license fee.
- After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license so the Circuit Clerk can record it and keep the marriage record.
Marriage License Application Fields
An application gathers identity details for both people getting married. The table lists the items Mississippi clerks commonly collect. Sharkey County does not publish its exact form online, so the "Required" column reflects the usual statewide practice rather than a posted local checklist. Confirm anything in doubt with the clerk.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name | Yes | Each applicant gives full name as it appears on a government ID. |
| Date of birth and age | Yes | Used to confirm both parties meet Mississippi age rules. |
| Photo identification | Yes | Driver's license, state ID, or passport are commonly accepted; confirm the local list. |
| Proof a prior marriage ended | If applicable | Date of divorce, annulment, or a spouse's death; a recent decree may be requested. |
| Joint appearance and signature | Yes | Both applicants generally sign in person at the office. |
| Social Security number | Confirm with clerk | Some clerks record it; Sharkey County does not post its policy online. |
How to Look Up Sharkey County Marriage Records
A marriage record made in Sharkey County is kept by the Circuit Clerk once the signed license is returned and recorded. To find a local record, contact the clerk by phone, by mail, or in person with the full names of both spouses and the year of the marriage. Older marriages may be in paper books or archived files, so give the staff as much detail as you can to narrow the search.
The state also keeps marriage records through the Mississippi State Department of Health. The MSDH Vital Records office maintains birth, death, marriage, and divorce-related records and offers ordering by mail, in person, and through VitalChek for some items. The page below shows where a statewide order starts when the local clerk is not the right channel.
Use the state route when you need a record from a marriage performed in another county, or when an out-of-state agency asks for a state-issued copy. For a marriage that took place in Sharkey County, the Circuit Clerk is usually the faster first stop.
Sharkey County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Sharkey County does not post its marriage-license, copy, or chancery filing fees on an official page. Because those amounts were not located in any verified county source, the table marks each one as unconfirmed instead of guessing. Some Mississippi counties list a marriage-license figure in the high thirties, but that number should not be treated as a Sharkey County fact, so call the clerk for the current cost.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | Not posted online. Confirm with the Circuit Clerk |
| Certified marriage record copy | Not posted online. Confirm with the Circuit Clerk |
| Additional certified copy | Not posted online. Confirm with the Circuit Clerk |
| Divorce (chancery) filing | Not posted online. Confirm with the Chancery Clerk |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Not posted online. Confirm with the Chancery Clerk |
State-issued copies from MSDH carry their own fee set by the Department of Health, which is separate from anything the county charges. Note: the clerk and the state office may accept different payment methods, so ask before you mail a check or arrive in person.
How to Find Sharkey County Divorce Records
Divorce is a chancery matter in Mississippi, so a Sharkey County divorce is filed and heard in Chancery Court, not with the circuit clerk who handles marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk keeps the case file at 120 Locust Street, PO Box 218, Rolling Fork, MS 39159, phone 662-873-2755. Chancery Court also handles related family matters such as child custody, property division, alimony, and adoptions, which the Chancery Court records page describes in more detail.
A divorce file can hold many documents, though some parts may be sealed or redacted. A typical file may include:
- The complaint or petition that opens the case
- Summons and proof of service on the other party
- The answer and any motions filed by either side
- Temporary orders and financial or property pleadings
- Custody-related filings when children are involved
- The final decree and any post-decree modifications
Docket entries and the final decree may be open to the public unless a judge sealed them, while sensitive items get more protection. To pull a file, give the Chancery Clerk the names of both parties and the approximate year, and ask whether records are viewable in person or through the Mississippi Electronic Courts system, where access was enabled.
Filing for Divorce in Chancery Court
People who want to start a case, rather than look one up, follow the chancery filing path. Sharkey County has not posted a local fee schedule or form packet, so the steps below describe the general process and an attorney or the clerk can confirm the local details.
- Confirm the case belongs in Sharkey County under Mississippi venue and residency rules.
- Prepare the complaint or petition along with any cover sheets and summons or service materials the court requires.
- Pay the filing fee, or ask about a waiver if you qualify, since the Sharkey amount is not posted online.
- Serve the other party unless a waiver or written consent applies.
- Follow the court's schedule for temporary hearings, discovery, mediation, and either trial or an uncontested decree.
- Order certified copies of the decree from the Chancery Clerk once the case is final.
Getting Certified Copies
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is the version courts, employers, and agencies accept as proof. People often need one to change a name, claim benefits, settle retirement or insurance accounts, transfer title, or show they are free to remarry. Order a certified marriage copy from the Circuit Clerk and a certified divorce decree from the Chancery Clerk, and ask how long processing takes before you rely on a deadline.
Important: an uncertified printout or an online view is not the same as a sealed certified copy, and many offices will reject the uncertified version for legal use. Order the certified copy early when a filing or benefits deadline is involved.
Confidential Family Records
Not every family record is open to the public. Mississippi law keeps adoption records confidential, and access to identifying details or an original birth record follows a specific statutory process through Chancery Court. The Child Welfare Information Gateway summary of access to adoption records in Mississippi explains who may request what and under which conditions.
Beyond adoption, courts shield other sensitive items in divorce and family files. Child custody material, minor names, Social Security and financial account numbers, protected addresses, and medical information may be redacted or restricted even when the rest of a case is public. Youth court records carry their own confidentiality rules. The Mississippi Public Records Act at Section 25-61-1 sets the general right to inspect government records, but court rules and a judge's sealing order can still limit what an office releases.
Mississippi Vital Records Office
When the local clerk is not the right source, the Mississippi State Department of Health holds statewide vital records and divorce-related order paths. The MSDH vital records ordering page explains how to request copies by mail, in person, or through VitalChek for the records that allow phone or online orders. The screen below shows where a state order begins.
The state office is the place to start for a record from a marriage or divorce that an out-of-state agency wants on a state-issued form. For a record created locally, the county clerk is often quicker.